NASA Inspector General “Raises Doubts” About ISS Privatization Plans

1 August 2018Space News reports that a new report by NASA’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) has raised “doubts about the feasibility of NASA’s plans to transfer ISS operations to the private sector in 2025.” The report released Monday “also warned that NASA’s research goals may not be completed by 2024 as expected, requiring additional time on the ISS or another facility in order to meet the agency’s deep space exploration requirements.” According to the report, the OIG questions the “viability of NASA’s plans as outlined in its ISS Transition Report, particularly with regard to the feasibility of fostering increased commercial activity in low Earth orbit on the timetable proposed.” The report also cites “several overly optimistic assumptions” by NASA “related to revenues and costs of operating a future private low Earth orbit platform that call into question the validity of the analysis.” (Image Credit: NASA)More Info (Space News)